Railway-tie.



PATENTED DEE). 11, 1906.

J. B. POgTER. RAILWAY TIE. APPLIOATION FILED APR.14,19(')B.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

J. B. PORTER. RAILWAY TIE. APPLICATION FILED APR.14,1906.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

N U k a .lliit;

JOHN B. PORTER. OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

RAILWAY-TIE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11, 1966.

Application filed April 14, 1906. Serial No. 311,685,

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN B. PORTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Railway-Ties, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of railway-ties having metallic bodies and cushionblocks of wood or similar material at opposite ends of the body for supporting the rails.

The object of this invention is to produce a tie of this character which is eflicient and durable in construction, which can be produced at low cost, and which cannot become center-bound when in use.

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved railway-tie, showing the rails supported thereby in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the body of the tie. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the tie with the rails resting thereon in cross-section. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the same with the rails omitted. Fig. 5 is an end view of the tie. Figs. 6 and 7 are crosssections in the correspondingly-numbered lines in Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The body of the tie is constructed of metal, preferably of steel, and consists of a hollow or trough-shaped central part A, which is substantially V-shaped in cross section, and two pocket-shaped end parts B B, arranged at opposite ends of the central part. Each of the pockets is composed of a flat bottom-c, two upright longitudinal sides at, two inwardlyprojecting shoulders or flanges e at the outer ends of the side walls, and two inwardly-projecting shoulders or flanges at the inner ends of the side walls. The central part of the body of the tie is composed of two longitudinal walls, bars, or plates G, which are arranged parallel side by side and converge from their upper edges downwardly toward their lower edges. These bars are connected at one end with the edges of the inner flanges f of one pocket, and their opposite ends are connected with the edges of the inner flanges of the other pocket, so that the interior of both pockets communicates with the interior of the trough-shaped central part of the tie. At their lower edges the two bars or walls of the central part of the tie-body are separated, so as to form an opening or longitudinal slot 7L between the same.

The flanges at opposite ends of each pocket are separated from each other, so as to form an open space between the same, as shown. The longitudinal corners of the pockets are rounded, as shown at i. In each of the pockets is arranged a cushioning or supporting lock J, which is preferably made of wood when the rail K, supported on the upper side of the same, is to form part of an electric signaling system, as by this means the rail is insulated from the metallic body of the tie. Each of these blocks rests at its lower end on the bottom of its pocket, and its inner and outer ends bear against the inner and outer flanges of the pocket, while its longitudinal sides bear against the longitudinal walls of the pocket.

The longitudinal sides of each cushioningblock preferably converge downwardly, and the inner sides of the longitudinal walls of the pocket with which they engage are made of corresponding form, whereby the cushionblock uponbeing pressed downwardly by the load running on the rails is caused to wedge itself tightly into the pocket, and thus hold the same firmly in place. The central part and end parts of the tie are preferably made in one piece, and the inner sides of the longitudinal walls ofthe pockets are arranged at a greater angle than that of the walls of the central part, so as to form the inner flanges or shoulders f between the same. Horizontal movement or creeping of the block in its pocket is resisted by means of upwardly-projecting spurs or barbs Z, arranged on the bottom of the pocket and embedded in the under side of the cushioning-block.

In order to prevent the cushioning-block from rising in the pocket, owing to the vibration of the rails or other cause, a horizontal coupling-bolt m or other fastening means is passed transversely through the central part of the cushioningblock and the side walls of I the pocket which contains the same, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6.

Spreading of the side walls of the pocket at their outer ends is prevented by a U-shaped strap which extends with its central crossbar a transversely across the front of the outer flanges of the pocket, while its side bars or arms a project inwardly along the outer side of the pocket side walls and receive the outer ends of the coupling-bolt m, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 5.

In building a railway with my improved tie the ground is filled in around and into the hollow central part of the same and then tamped at the ends only in the same manner as an ordinary wooden tie. Any attempt to tamp the ground underneath the central part of the tie-body merely causes the ground to rise up through the central slot it between the longitudinal bars, thus effectually preventing the tie from becoming center-bound. Upon being subjected to the pressure of the train load running over the rails the tie settles uniformly and firmly in the road-bed, this movement of the tie being facilitated, owing to the rounding longitudinal corners of the pockets and the downwardly-converging bars of its central part. As the tie settles the ground below the slot it between. the longitudinal bars of the body rises upwardly between the same. The downward movement of the tie at the center is therefore not resisted and the ground is not compacted at this point, thereby preventing the tie from becoming centerbound. This capacity of avoiding central binding of the tie eliminates a very large item of expense in the maintenance of a railway, inasmuch as this is one of the features which heretofore has required constant attention.

Considering its low cost and greater durability, my improved tie is superior to those heretofore known or used as a substitute for the ordinary wooden tie, which latter, owing to the scarcity of wood, makes the use of the same almost prohibitive.

I claim as my invention.

1. A railway-tie comprising a body having a hollow central part, and pocket-shaped ends, the walls of said central part being separated at their lower edges by an opening or slot, substantially as set forth.

2. A railway-tie comprising a body having a hollow central part, and pocket-shaped ends, the walls of said central part being separated at their lower edges by a longitudinal slot, and cushioning-blocks seated in said pockets, substantially as set forth.

3. A railway-tie comprising a body having a hollow central part, and pocket shaped ends, said central part consisting of two downwardly-converging longitudinal bars or walls which connect at opposite ends with said pockets and are separated. at their lower edges to-form a slot between the same, sub stantially as set forth.

4. A railway-tie comprising a body having a hollow central part, and pocket shaped ends, said pockets each having a bottom, upright walls on opposite longitudinal sides of the bottom and inwardly-projecting flanges at the inner and outer ends of the side walls and the flanges at the corresponding ends of the side walls being separated by an intervening space, substantially as set forth.

5. A railway-tie comprising a body having a hollow central part and pocket-shaped ends, said central part consisting of two downwardly-converging longitudinal side walls and the inner sides of the pocket side walls also converging downwardly but at a greater angle than the walls of said central part, substantially as set forth.

6. A railway-tie comprising a body having a hollow central part and pocket-shaped ends, said central part consisting of two downwardly converging longitudinal side walls and the inner sides of the pocket side walls also converging downwardly but at a greater angle than the walls of said central part, and cushioning-blocks seated in said pockets and having their longitudinal sides converging downwardly and engaging with the correspondingly-inclined side walls of the pockets, substantially as set forth.

7. A railway-tie comprising a body having a hollow central part, pockets at opposite ends of the central part, cushioning-blocks seated in said pockets, and spurs arranged on the bottom of said pockets and entering the under side of said blocks, substantially as set forth.

8. A railway-tie comprising a body having a hollow central part, pockets at opposite ends of the central part, and each having shoulders or flanges at its inner and outer ends, cushioning-blocks seated in said pockets, and bolts passing transversely through paid pockets and blocks, substantially as set ortl 9. A railway-tie comprising a body having a hollow central part, and pocket-shaped ends which are open at their outer ends, and straps connecting the walls of said pockets at their outer ends, substantially as set forth.

10. A railway-tie comprising a body having a hollow centralpart, and pocket-shaped ends which are open at their outer ends, cushioning-blocks seated in said pockets, couplingbolts passing transversely through said blocks and pockets, and U-shaped straps having their cross-bars arranged transversely across the outer ends of the pockets while their arms project inwardly along the outer sides of the pocket side walls and are secured to said bolts, substantially as set forth.

l/Vitness my hand this 11th day of April,

- JOHN B. PORTER. I l/Vitnesses:

THEo. L. PoPP, E. M. GRAHAM. 

